Longmire 5 point 0
by truechaos1
Summary: Continues after the end of the fifth season, focusing on Jacob and Cady and Walt and Vic.


Started this after watching season 5 … Wanted to share before the next season appears. May add to it if I get a chance. I do have a book out if anyone is interested. The Serpent Underneath. Thanks all!

So much had happened so quickly that Vic had yet to feel the ramifications, but now it all crashed in around her. She had waited for Walt to return to the office, darkness closing in as the last remnants of daylight were consumed by the night. She needed to talk, desperately needed a friend; needed him. But Walt had just walked through to his office, leaving her to stare at his closed door in frustration. She snorted, pushed her chair back from her desk and strode out, not sure if she was angry at him or herself but certain she was not going to still be there when he came out. Pushing through the door, Vic felt the cool air seep through her jacket. The street was empty, but then movement flashed in the corner of her eye and Vic felt something heavy thud into her head, dropping her to the sidewalk. Suddenly, there were several people, unidentifiable blurs, kicking her from multiple directions. Her world became a clash of pain and disorientation, then everything went blank.

Startled from her thoughts by the sound of the front door and then footsteps on her newly laid wood floor, Cady looked up anxiously. She took a quick side glance at the rifle that had already saved her life once, but relaxed into a questioning smile as Jacob Nighthorse strode calmly into the room.

"Jacob!" she greeted. "What can I do for you?"

He was wearing the remains of his typically stylish business attire, with his tailored suit jacket hooked on a finger over his shoulder and his gray and navy patterned silk tie loosened significantly. "I had business in the neighborhood and noticed your lights," he explained in that slow, measured tone he favored. He cocked his head as if debating his words. "Though I have great confidence in your ability to look after yourself, we might need to consider some security … if you intend to be here alone after dark?" Jacob's often piercing eyes gazed upon her delicate features, his concern for her evident.

Cady glanced out the window, "I hadn't realized how late..." she offered a weak smile, shrugged. "Just trying to catch up on a few cases." She stood and collected her things before returning her attention to her charismatic boss. "Thank you, Jacob, for your concern. It's nice to know someone cares."

"I doubt, Cady, that I am the only one who cares about your well-being," he replied with a subtly raised brow.

Cady smiled weakly and nodded as she came to stand in front of him. Despite her recent conflicts with her father, she knew that to be true. "Well, anyway, I appreciate the fact that you would give me a chance in this position despite your history with my dad."

"You are your own woman, Cady," Jacob countered, his eyes softening. "I believe the tribe is fortunate to have you fighting on their side."

His words lifted her spirits and she caught herself looking into those piercing eyes a moment too long. "I wish my father could see what I see when I look at you."

Jacob pursed his lips, curious. "And what is it that you see?" he asked.

The question, for some reason, caught her off guard, having to articulate it. She _saw_ him. Perhaps it was as simple as that. He wasn't the caricature of her father's delusions, the great enemy. "I see a good man. A man who is compassionate, who cares about his people and doing anything he can to help them," she replied. As she spoke she realized that she saw more than that, more than she was willing to admit to him or her father. She saw a handsome man, always sharply-attired, with a well-defined body despite his years, stylishly trimmed thick black hair, dashes of grey slashing through it like lightening, and that carefully trimmed gray goatee. She saw his skin, soft and rough at the same time, in warm hues, and his eyes … those intense, passionate eyes that bore right into her soul. Cady realized that she not only saw Jacob Nighthorse as a decent man, but also as a desirable man, made even more so by the passionate and confident way he approached life and his dedication to the well-being of the tribe. This realization startled her and she hoped her full thoughts about him were not as transparent as they felt.

"I do appreciate that, Cady," he answered, studying her curiously, seeing this woman before him with a new perspective. This beautiful, terribly young, woman stood before him with a complete lack of pretense. In its place he saw awareness, interest, even desire, and Jacob found himself contemplating her in a new and shocking way. He chastised himself for even allowing such carnal notions about this young woman to take residence in his thoughts where they had no business being. He tried to push this from his mind and regain a proper perspective: that of an employer, perhaps even a mentor or a friend, appreciative that she did not see him the way her father did. "You cannot bear the responsibility for another's …misperceptions."

He knew she cared about him, especially after she came to warn him about her father's ever increasing paranoia but Cady wondered if he knew the thoughts that filtered through her mind now. She thought about what it would feel like to kiss him and blood rushed to her face before she could flush the errant fantasy from her mind. She felt foolish. Surely he did not look at her that way and she certainly shouldn't be thinking of him in that way either. It was absurd and irrational. Suddenly needing to change the subject, she forced her expression to brighten and busied herself by leading Jacob from the room and turning off the lights behind them. "I've been invited to participate in a sweat to induct me into the tribe!" she announced.

A genuine smile spread across Jacob's features. "I am pleased to hear that. The sweat is a spiritual sanctuary under the guidance of the spirits. This is a very significant honor and not one often offered to a person of your … heritage."

"I am very honored," she assured. "I hope live up to everyone's expectations."

"Of that," Jacob countered, watching her closely, "I have no doubt."

After racing back inside the station and making a call to Ferg to start the standard law enforcement response to the situation, Walt grabbed his rifle and extra ammunition and drove off on a mission. He had little doubt Vic had been taken and little doubt by whom. The Chance Gilbert place had been boarded up when the bank foreclosed but that wouldn't stop his nutcase family from making use of it. Walt parked some distance back and approached through the woods. Once close enough he could see some of the boards had been pulled away from the door and a faint light poured out from within.

He took a moment to scope out the area, finding two vehicles: a beat up '70s Chevy pickup and a slightly newer Suburban. Walt approached cautiously, struggling to make out the voices inside. There was at least one male and the woman was likely Chance's brother's widow, a bitter and not altogether rational woman. There was a sound of that woman cackling about Vic getting her just reward for putting Chance behind bars and now possibly on death row. As he stepped, a board cracked and he didn't have time to think, only react. He heard a shot hit the wall behind his head in the middle of his advance but didn't hesitate, not when Vic's safety was at stake. He entered, firing one into the chest of one man with short curly brown hair before turning and doing the same to another of Chance's relatives wearing a beard and long hair.

Walt grabbed another who tried to overpower him, turning the younger man's momentum against him as he threw him head first into the wall where he fell motionless. In the fury of this moment, Walt realized that Vic was tied up in a straight backed wooden chair in the middle of the room and Chance's brother's wife stood holding a hand gun menacingly. If there were others in the house, they had apparently fled. His rifle pointed toward the woman's chest, Walt stepped warily closer to get a look at Vic's condition. She was conscious but battered and bruised with blood flowing from her check and nose. Her mouth was gagged but her eyes pleaded with him, bloodshot and raw.

"Drop it!" Walt demanded.

"You bloody bastard destroyed my family!" the woman sneered, raising the gun toward Vic's head.

"Drop it now or I will blow you apart," Walt told her with a level of calmness that belied his own terror.

The woman seemed to consider her options and then dropped the gun. "You should have seen your girl here, Sheriff, begging us not to kill her precious little unborn baby!" she sneered.

Walt tried to make sense of her words as she glared and chuckled. Walt locked eyes on Vic and in that moment understood exactly what she may have lost. Walt didn't care who the father was. He cared about Vic and the heartbreak and loss in her eyes were almost too much.

Walt returned his eyes slowly and deliberately to the woman who now stood with her hands up, grinning, "Hope it was yours Sheriff cause it won't draw its first breath!" she went on and launched a foot toward Vic's stomach.

Walt didn't hesitate. The shot rang out before her blow could connect and she fell into Vic and then to the floor, dead. Walt untied Vic and removed her gag. She sobbed into his shoulder and he gingerly picked her up and carried her outside where multiple police sirens and lights blared as vehicles arrived.

"I'm so sorry, Vic," he whispered. "I'm so sorry."

After the ceremony, Cady was overwhelmed by the sensations and vivid, even frightening, imagery that had accosted her. Getting home and indulging in a long, cool shower before falling asleep, all happened in a bit of a daze. It was in the night, in her dreams, that the images came back to her most clearly. When she woke the next morning, it all rushed back to her with a deadly urgency. Henry! She had seen him hanging … his phone ringing? She jumped out of bed and grabbed her phone. Henry's number had no answer so she hung up and called the Red Pony. He would be there by now. But one of his staff answered. The young man who answered explained that Henry left the night before to give someone a ride but never came back. They had no word of him since. Cady quickly thanked him and redialed the Sheriff's office.

"Ruby! Is my dad in?" Her eyes widened as her father's trusted office manager hesitantly told her that Walt was at the hospital.

"Don't worry, honey, he's ok," Ruby added. "Vic was hurt, though. Some altercation at the old Chance Gilbert residence. Walt's with her now."

"How is she? What happened to her?" Cady's already anxious demeanor ticked up a notch.

"I really don't know, hon. We haven't heard," Ruby answered.

Cady took a deep breath. "Has anyone heard from Henry? He hasn't been seen since he left to give someone a ride last night. I'm really worried."

"I haven't," Ruby countered. "Here, let me let you talk to Ferg."

Once on the phone with the deputy, Cady explained the situation. Under pressure, Ferg finally agreed to trace Henry's phone. He promised to call her back and was gone.

Cady pulled into the driveway of Jacob's residence. After talking her way past his security, who fortunately remembered her from her visit the other day, she found Jacob in his den.

"Cady?" he said, surprised.

"I'm sorry to bother you at home but I checked at the casino and they said you would be here."

"You are welcome here, Cady. What is wrong?" he asked, picking up on her desperation.

"It's Henry. I had a vision about him during the ceremony last night but it didn't really become clear to me until this morning. He was hanging from a tree in the desert. His cell phone was ringing and there was an owl," she blurted out quickly, hoping she didn't sound insane. "When I tried to call him this morning I found out no one has seen him since he left the Red Pony last night to give someone a ride."

"Have you spoken with the Sheriff?" She could see Jacob's mind focus sharply.

"Something happened last night with Vic and my dad and the family of this nutcase they put away," Cady explained. "She got hurt and dad is at the hospital with her now and Ferg is tied up but I got him to trace Henry's cell and he gave me the GPS points!" She showed Jacob the piece of paper she had scribbled down the numbers on.

Jacob gave a quick nod. "I will help you find him."

"Thank you!" Cady was overwhelmed with relief.

Soon they were on the road and she entered the GPS coordinates into Jacob's Garmin. A dot appeared on the little map. Fifty minutes away. Jacob stole a glance at the screen and his expression darkened.

"What is it?"

"That location is in the Crow Reservation," he said. "I think we had better hurry."

They had run out of road, driving deep into a desolate landscape, before they neared the coordinates. Cady's eyes lit on a lone tree in the distance. "That's it!" she exclaimed. "The tree from my vision!"

As they pulled to a stop it became clear that someone was lying on the ground. Cady leaped from Jacob's car before it fully stopped and screamed as she realized that Henry was staked to the ground, scoured by the relentless sun. "Oh my God! Henry!" she took his head in her hands as Jacob worked to remove the stakes. "Who did this to you?"

Henry's eyes opened but they were unfocused as he struggled to see. His mouth moved but at first no words came out but a raspy gasp. "Mal…chi…" he managed as Jacob's eyes locked on Cady's.

"He needs medical attention, now!" Jacob told her and they quickly lifted his beaten body and carefully loaded him into the back seat of the car. "We should have killed him," Jacob said under his breath, glaring with anger and concern.

Cady gave him a quick glance at that but let it go, focusing instead on reaching into the back of the car and trying to drip water onto Henry's swollen and broken lips. Jacob slid into the driver's seat and started the engine. Tears streamed down Cady's face as she desperately tried to tend to her godfather.

"Cady," Jacob's voice came, heavy with emotion. "He will live," he assured with such confidence that she dared to believe it. His gaze bounced back and forth between her eyes and the road.

Cady clasped his arm, squeezing. " _Thank you_ , Jacob!"

Hospital workers took over at the emergency room entrance, leaving Cady and Jacob in the background. Jacob's face was drawn with concern as he gazed upon her tortured expression and shaken form. He hesitated, knowing what hell the sheriff would raise if he saw them. Regardless, Jacob pulled her into his arms in an embrace, one hand ghosting over her hair as she wrapped her arms around him, comforted by his strength and the warmth of his body. "You did well, Cady. Had you not listened to your spirit guides, the outcome would have been much different."

"Thank you," she whispered and he could feel the warmth of her breath on his neck. The sensation sent a shock through his body that he tried to suppress. Cady Longmire was a woman he respected and cared about and he had never anticipated seeing her in this way, as a sexy and attractive woman. He chastised himself. He had no business thinking about how she felt in his arms and what it would feel like to run his hands over her naked body, to taste her tender mouth. He closed his eyes and forced these thoughts from his mind. Cady was worried about Henry and Jacob would be a friend if she needed one and nothing more than that.

After a few moments, Cady drew herself back and wiped the wetness from her face. With nothing to do but wait, they both took a seat. As Cady fidgeted nervously, Jacob's mind was focused on revisiting recent events, if only to keep his thoughts from spiraling down an unseemly path. When he spoke he wasn't looking at her, but gazing into an unfocused distance. "Malachi used the stakes from my meditation area to bind him. Had Henry died, your father would have undoubtedly directed the blame towards me."

Cady gazed at him, nodding, resigned. He was right and it tore her up to think about her father's irrational hatred for the man who just helped her save Henry's life. She reached over and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "Thanks to you, Malachi won't get away with it!" she told him.

They waited together in silence until, finally, a young doctor Cady didn't recognize approached. They followed the young man back into the hallway for some privacy. "He is very lucky to have reached us when he did," the doctor explained. "He is seriously dehydrated and suffered heavy bruising and minor cuts. We're pumping him full of fluids and running tests, but he will recover."

"Thank you!" Cady sighed as relief washed over her. Just then she met the eyes of her father down the hall.

Eying Jacob fiercely, Walt charged at them like a bull. "What is he doing here _with you_?" Walt demanded, glaring at his daughter. Walt imagined his daughter was here to see him and Vic and couldn't fathom any reason why Jacob would be there with her.

"Dad!" Cady tried to corral her father's attention. "It's Henry! Malachi abducted him. We found him staked to the ground in the desert, near death."

"We?" Walt locked onto the word.

"Dad! Henry almost died! He _would have_ died if it weren't for Jacob."

"Henry's ok?" He asked.

His daughter nodded and Walt focused again on his adversary. "Why would you go to _him_?"

"Everyone else was a little busy!" she snapped, anger growing at his behavior.

In the uncomfortable silence which followed, Jacob caught her eye. "I must attend to other matters," he explained. "Please do keep me updated on Henry's condition."

"I will Jacob, thank you!" She might have kissed him on the cheek were it not for her father's presence. "I need to stay. I'll have someone run me to my car later, if that's alright."

"Anytime," Jacob nodded and took his leave.

"Did Henry _say_ it was Malachi or did Nighthorse just _conveniently_ blame it on him?" Walt demanded of his daughter, not willing to let this go.

Cady glared. "Henry said MALACHI," she stated emphatically.

Walt still steamed with anger.

"I heard about Vic," Cady pointedly changed the subject. "How is she?"

"Vic, ah," Walt stumbled for words worse than usual. "She's hurt. I don't know how bad. They're, ah, they're still working on her."

Finally, the doctor approached Walt. "She's awake and she wants to see you."

Walt ran a hand nervously through his hair before pushing through the door to Vic's room. Her face was bruised and swollen and she was wired to monitoring equipment that droned on steadily. Her raw eyes met his and Walt settled down on the edge of her bed, taking her fragile hand in his. "Doc says you're gonna be ok," Walt managed. What the doctor didn't say, what Walt had no business knowing, was the fate of her unborn child.

There were tears in her eyes as she clutched his hand. "The baby's ok. Tough little guy … or girl," she said.

Walt felt a tremble pass through her body and he clutched her hand firmly, sighing with relief. "Should I, ah, call Amon?"

Vic chuckled bitterly, rolling her eyes. "Amon, Travis, who the hell knows?"

" _Travis?_ " Walt was startled despite himself. Again, _none of his business_.

"Yeah, believe that? It was just one night … for both. Don't know what the hell I was thinking but there it is. I'm pregnant and I don't even know who the father is!" Vic tried to hold back the tears but felt fully overwhelmed and at the same time clenched her teeth in pain.

"Hey, hey, hey," Walt raised her hand between his. "You're ok. Your baby's ok. Everything else will work itself out!"

Vic closed her eyes and let the tears fall for a moment before gazing back into his beautiful and compassionate eyes. He almost made her believe it.

It was evening before Henry stabilized enough that Cady felt comfortable leaving him. Vic would also recover, they learned, and her father refused to leave his deputy's side. Finally, exhausted, Cady asked a friend who worked at the hospital to drive her out to Jacobs to get her car.

There were lights on inside when she arrived and aside from the security team's vehicles, Jacob did not seem to have company. She might have just drove home and updated him later but something else was pulling her to him. She drew comfort from his presence. She realized that she enjoyed being around Jacob, as bizarre as that change in the tide of their lives happened to be.

He opened the door for her expectantly as she approached, face drawn with concern.

"Hi," she stumbled, "I, ah, just wanted to … see you … and let you know that Henry is doing much better. He's sleeping now."

"That is good to hear," he said with genuine concern. Jacob stared at her a moment, studying, before stepping back and motioned her inside. "Please," he welcomed. She followed him back to a dimly lit living room. There were candles burning and incense and his massive fireplace was brilliantly aflame.

"I just put on some herbal tea. Would you like a cup?" he asked.

"That sounds good, thank you," she smiled in response.

"Of course." Jacob disappeared into another room.

She gazed around the stone walls and crisscrossed ceiling beams of the sparsely decorated great room, eyes settling on a framed photograph of faded colors featuring a young Indian woman and a small boy. It was the only picture in the room.

"My birth mother," Jacob's voice came from behind her. He handed her a cup and took a drink from his own. "She died shortly after that picture was taken. I was raised by my father … and his new wife."

Cady studied his face, deeply serious and at the same time more vulnerable than she had ever seen it. This was the first time Jacob had spoken to her about something so personal. "When I returned to the Res. as a young man in search of my heritage, I found it … desecrated, my people broken and in poverty. My mother's sister, Chameli, took me in, taught me about our culture, our history," Jacob explained, taking a sharp breath. "Such a culturally rich civilization reduced to disjointed fragments by an invader who never quite gave up its desire for dominion." His passion for his people was deep but then a smile touched his lips. "Chameli had something in common, actually, with your mother," Jacob told her, piquing her interest. "She thought a casino would just bring trouble… a further corruption of our heritage." He shook his head before returning his distance gaze to her. "And it did. But it also brings prosperity and opportunity, something our people desperately need."

Cady nodded, sadly, understanding perhaps for the first time the battle Jacob had been fighting from his side. "If it weren't for the casino, the Res. would not have access to well-paying jobs and legal aid," she agreed.

"The world is not good or bad, Cady," he noted, looking on her now with genuine affection. "Just complex."

She considered him for a moment, his strength of character, his intensity so often in the face of great opposition. She couldn't help but admire him, this man who once seemed the barer of destruction and misery. Something was bothering her, though, something he'd said earlier. "When we were loading Henry into your car, you said, ' _we should have killed him_ '. What did you mean?"

Jacob sighed, taking a long drink and then setting the cup aside before answering. "Henry and I took Malachi up to the sacred land with proof that he had been operating a criminal enterprise through the Red Pony _and_ the casino. I cut him … _branded_ him for his crimes against his own people … and banished him from the tribe. Before we left him there, Malachi signed the Red Pony back over to Henry." Jacob chuckled bitterly. "Later, your father accused me of having Malachi killed or doubling back and killing him myself. Honestly, it never crossed my mind… but maybe it should have."

Cady's eyes widened. "You're the reason Henry got his bar back," she realized.

"It was a joint effort," Jacob countered, "and perhaps a foolish one."

She closed the space between them, her gaze steady, confident. "It's not your fault that Malachi did this," she told him.

"Not alone, perhaps," he countered and she knew that her father had his part to play as well, leaving Jacob and Henry with little option but to try to handle Malachi on their own. Even her father and Henry were at odds. Things had gone so wrong.

With Jacob standing before her, Cady was taken by the sudden awareness of their proximity, of the handsome lines of his face, the texture of his skin aglow in the flickering light of the fireplace. His eyes, always confident and piercing, now reflected a similar and unexpected awareness. With it, all anger fell away, replaced with uncertainty and curiosity. Though startled, neither pulled away. Jacob looked into her expressive eyes as if searching for an answer to a question he never imagined asking. In a dizzying rush Cady thought again about what it would feel like to kiss him. The fact that his eyes drifted for just a moment to her lips let her know that the thought had crossed his mind as well.

"Cady," he said in a deep growl of warning that only managed draw her eyes to his lips.

She drew in a deep breath, lips apart, tempted, before forcing her eyes back to his. For a moment, they hesitated, unwilling to shatter this intense moment, but then she moved to him, slowly, deliberately. Her eyes drifted closed as she gingerly touched her lips to his. Hesitant at first, he responded and an intoxication flooded her in that instant that she felt his lips open to hers. Jacob Nighthorse. Her stampeding heart merged with a growing arousal like an electrical charge pulsing through her body as they kissed. It was a long, sensual play of her soft lips against his as she touched her hands to his body tentatively and she felt his fingers weave into her hair.

After several long moments they reluctantly eased apart, breathing heavy and hearts racing. Jacob gently brought his hand to caress the silky skin of her face. "Cady," he said again, caressing her cheek, resisting the impulse to do more and yet still flush with the feel of her lips on his and an aroused beyond his wildest expectations. Jacob tried to focus on something other than her beauty and the taste of her young, perfectly shaped mouth but he failed miserably. This was foolish. She was so innocent and yet intensely sensual. It was all Jacob could do not to grab her and pull her into his bedroom, but he knew this wasn't a desire he could allow himself to indulge. Whatever brought her to him this night, in this way, would most certainly falter in the light of day as reality crashed back down around them. He needed to end this now.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, his eyes tortured as he started to pull his hand away.

But she placed her hand on his to prevent a retreat. "I'm not," she countered with sudden certainty in her bright eyes.

Jacob sighed, trying to clear his mind of the fog of desire. "Forgetting for the moment," Jacob's voice came roughly, putting words to realities they would both rather ignore, "that you are under my employ and that your father, _the_ _sheriff_ , maintains a deep seated and unflappable animosity towards me, do you have _any_ idea how old I am?"

She leaned into his hand, enjoying the sensation of his touch. With everything that stood between them, his concern for their age difference seemed almost humorous. Cady smiled softly. "While fully aware of all of the reasons this shouldn't be happening," she said, focusing her beautiful eyes on his, "I couldn't care less how old you are."

Though he knew he should, Jacob still didn't pull away, _couldn't_ pull away. His eyes searched hers, finding the young woman's open desire and interest intoxicating. "And what _do_ you care about?" he wondered, his thumb gently caressing her parted lips. On the verge of no return, Jacob drew a sharp breath in a renewed attempt to temper his desires. This couldn't be happening, shouldn't be happening, not with her, not like this. He must be losing his mind … or she hers.

Instead of answering, Cady grazed her fingers over the closely shaved hair above his ear, then weaved them into the thick black hair above. Jacob's eyes closed indulgently at her touch. He was fighting his own battle between desire and reason, but as her lips returned to his, reason lost all influence.

They met passionately with wet lips and open mouthed kisses as hands flowed over the contours of each other's bodies. He pulled her young, shapely form against him and she could feel his arousal. His compassion and intensity fired her passions and all she could think of was the need to feel his bare skin against hers. This man, of all men. Jacob Nighthorse. Her mother's adversary. Her father's greatest enemy. Jacob traced wet kisses down her neck before whispering, his warm breath against her skin, "Tell me to quit, Cady. _Please_ … before we do something you will truly regret."

Taking a moment to catch her breath, Cady drew back and peered into his eyes. Keeping her gaze locked on his, she reached down to grab handfuls of her shirt, then pulled it over her head, dropping it to the floor. Jacob's eyes widened subtly as his gaze fell over her lacy, lavender bra and delicate skin. She brought her hands to his chest and unfastened each button of his tailored shirt, slowly, tantalizing. Once her hands were free to feel his skin, they kissed again, each touch growing in intensity and need.

There was no going back now. Jacob took her hand and walked her into his bedroom. There, with only the dancing light of the fireplace from the great room penetrating the dark, he dared to indulge his desires, admiring her body, so beautiful and firm. Cady reached back to unfasten her bra and it fell loose. Jacob touched his hands to her skin, gently pushing the straps over her delicate shoulders until the garment finally dropped to the floor. "Dear God, Cady," he whispered with a shaky breath, "You are so beautiful and so young." He caressed her body, her breasts freed and welcoming to his touch, to his mouth.

"Jacob," she whispered in his ear, his name on her lips making the reality of the situation inescapable and at the same time utterly surreal, "I want to feel you," she said, reaching down and caressing him through the thin material of his slacks as he moaned in response. He brought his mouth to hers again and their lips met fervently. Her hands moved to unfasten his slacks as he backed her down onto the bed. Taking a moment to absorb the sight before him, Jacob moved to unfasten and unzip her pants before pulling them off of her completely. He kissed her through her silk panties which were already wet in anticipation.

Cady laid back on the bed, her breath hitching as he pulled her panties off and went to work with his tongue against her hot flesh. She clutched handfuls of the bedspread, every inch of her skin tingling wildly in response as she pushed herself against him, wet and aching for contact. She had never been with someone who approached her with such reverence and patience, not rushing, but reveling instead in each sensation, each moment.

Jacob realized he had been so focused on his people and the casino, putting past loves behind him, that he had denied himself the opportunity of truly giving himself to a woman, of opening himself to another. Now all of his defenses fell away as he savored every inch of this forbidden indulgence. The little sounds she made as she responded to his ministrations only heightened his already raging passion. But this was more to him than just a sexual encounter. She meant more to him than that. Finally, he returned his attention to her breasts and then her lips, each kiss slow and sensual, worshiping her soft skin and mouth.

She reached for him, pulling his hot erection free from his underwear, caressing, stroking, as he moaned into her ear. Finally, he stood and removed his remaining clothing. Though she knew his age far exceeded hers, his body was toned as he stood naked above her in the firelight. He moved back over her, skin against skin, each touch enticing. She reached for him again, his hot flesh in her hand, moving him into position. " _Please_ ," she begged. Cady enjoyed the foreplay but needed more. She needed to feel him inside of her. Unable to delay any longer, Jacob cautiously eased into her, unwilling to rush this moment. She closed her eyes and gave in to the overwhelming sensations as he finally pushed all the way in.

It had been so long since she had been with a man… since Branch. Jacob was so different, so gentle and yet so powerful. He moved slowly, then quickly, somehow knowing exactly what she wanted and when, their hot bodies moving in rhythm, wet with sweat and arousal. For a time she took the top position, watching him as he watched her, as they moved together. She pressed against him, enjoying every sensation as he finally they exploded within her and they collapsed together.

Jacob shifted his weight off of her and she stretched her body out against his, her head on his shoulder and hand on his chest as he wrapped his arm around her. Jacob leaned down and kissed her forehead. He traced along the skin of her arm with his fingertips. "Are you ok?" he asked with certain trepidation.

"I am," she answered, gazing up at him. "Are you?"

"Until your father hunts me down and skins me alive," Jacob chuckled, "I am wonderful!"

She laughed, though she knew that might not be far from the truth.

"I do love that smile," he told her and they caressed each other in a comfortable silence, enjoying the sensation of skin against skin. Cady never felt so at peace and at the same time so absolutely terrified at what she was feeling and for whom.

It was still night when Cady emerged from Jacob's intricately tiled walk in shower and dried herself off before a large vanity mirror. Her heart was racing with all of the implications of this night but she was surprisingly unrepentant of the choices she had made. She towel-dried her hair and retrieved the clothes she had piled by the sink. Redressed and having put his comb through her wet hair, Cady hesitantly opened the bathroom door and peered into the dark bedroom beyond, nervous about how her new lover would react. Would he push her away, deciding the obstacles were simply to massive to overcome? Or was she just a conquest? A way to get back at her father? She struggled with fear and uncertainty.

Jacob, who'd showered first, stood at the dresser in bare feet. He had slipped on a pair of sweatpants and now turned to her. He sighed deeply as he appraised her silhouette in the doorway. Gazing into her eyes, Jacob realized she was nervous, uncertain. He closed the distance between them in a few short steps and pulled her tightly into his arms. She wrapped herself around him.

"It will be ok," he whispered after some time, "if you regret this and want to go back to where we were."

"Do you want to go back?" she asked, startled, not that she had any real grasp on what she wanted just yet.

He eased apart from her enough to gaze into her eyes. "What I want …" He struggled to focus, "I want you to never leave my bed."

Cady smiled, relieved, and kissed him, even though trepidation remained. Jacob met her lips eagerly, sensually. It was all he could do to pull away from her when he did. He ghosted his fingers over her cheek, eyes full of desire and care. "The problem in life is that what we want cannot always be the determining factor," he told her.

"You think we shouldn't have done this?" she asked.

Jacob chuckled, "Oh, I _know_ we shouldn't have done this!"

His manner brought a passing smile to her lips. "Though I do try, I've never been very good at doing what I'm supposed to do," she admitted. First there was Branch and then going to work for Jacob Nighthorse and now this? She was beginning to see a pattern in her own behavior. But she followed her heart and, when it came down to it, whatever her heart led, she was ok with that.

"You're exhausted, Cady," he said, drawing her face into his hands. "Sleep on it," he told her. "Give this some time. Think it through."

She nodded and sighed heavily. That was probably the rational course of action, she knew. There were already so many conflicting thoughts racing through her mind and she very much needed to sleep. The thought of crawling back into bed with him was almost overpowering but the last thing they needed was for someone to see her leaving his house in the morning wearing the same clothes she had on the night before.

"If, in the light of day," Jacob said, letting his hands fall to his sides and his gaze wander as he spoke, "you decide you really want to … continue … then we'll talk."

Cady nodded and sighed. She knew that if she didn't leave soon, she never would, at least not this night. Gathering her resolve, she stepped back, collected her strength and walked out of Jacob's house.

Though she tried to bury herself in the stacks of papers that covered her desk at the legal aid center, Cady kept drifting back to the memories of the night before and the entirely new place that Jacob Nighthorse now held in her life. The taste of his mouth and his gentle touch was so strong in her memory that warmth flushed over her body every time she thought about him. Without even realizing she was doing it, Cady's eyes would drift closed and desire rose back up within her. She threw her hands to her face with a growl, questioning her sanity. Still stunned that her intimate memories of Jacob Nighthorse were not some dream, Cady wondered what would become of their involvement.

Surely he was right. It shouldn't have happened, not with the potential conflicts of interest and her father's increasing hysteria about the man. Still, she couldn't imagine not doing it again, not feeling his body against her and his lips on hers. It was going to be a long morning, she realized. She shook her head again and refocused on her work. Some minutes later when the phone on her desk rang, she was startled. She cursed her lack of cell phone signal there as she stared at the phone. She had left a message for her father asking how Vic was doing, so she expected to hear his voice when she answered. A grin mixed with trepidation came as she recognized Jacob's voice on the other end instead.

"I just wanted to … call and make sure you were ok," he started, uncharacteristically tentative.

Her smile widened. "I'm good. Still trying to wrap my head around … you know. But good!"

"I have some business that requires my presence out of state for the next few days," he went on. "I'll leave this evening and should be back by the end of the week."

Her trepidation grew as she considered her next words. She doubted the people in the other office could hear her words but she chose them carefully just in case. "I, ah, would like to have that talk with you," she said.

"Oh?" his tone was noncommittal, then added with a touch of humor, "Sanity rushing in with the light of day?"

"Maybe not," she admitted.

After a short pause he said, "I'll be in my office this afternoon if you want to come by."

The opening was both terrifying and exhilarating. Would he welcome her interest or call it quits before things really got out of hand? Was a relationship with him really what she wanted or was she hoping that sanity would win out if she saw him in his casino, when it would be impossible to forget the role he had played in her families lives. Still, she could not imagine never feeling him again and she definitely didn't want to wait for days before following this through. "Sure, I can do that," she answered, trying to tamp down her anxiousness and interest. Now it was really going to be a long morning.

Cady talked to her father for an update on Vic and Henry. The deputy's condition seemed to be less serious than earlier feared and Henry was pushing to be released, satisfied that he was healthy enough to take care of himself. Cady's father was difficult to read. Perhaps he was still just distracted with recent events and perhaps he was still angry at her for seeking Jacob's help in finding Henry. Boy, he would love what she was doing now! Cady snorted as she pulled her car into the Casino parking lot. She was an adult. Her father would have to live with her choices, assuming this was serious enough or went on long enough for him to find out. One thing was for sure, she was in no hurry to tell him.

Gathering her purse and a folder in an attempt to look like her presence was a work matter, Cady made her way into the casino. She caught sight of Jacob atop the stairs having a conversation with one of his security officers. Their eyes met and he gave a little nod. Cady proceeded to his office and Jacob joined her at the door some moments later. His expression was impossible to read. Of course, she didn't expect him to give away his thoughts or intentions where others might see. Still, it made the situation even more nerve-racking, not knowing how he was going to react or feel about her after their night together. Opening the door for her, Jacob motioned her in. After they entered, he quietly locked the door behind them. He turned back to her with a curious gaze.

Cady sat back against the edge of his desk, gripping the folder in her arms like some sort of safety blanket. Jacob approached hesitantly and she still could not seem to read his expression. There was interest, or perhaps concern. "It's good to see you," he said, finally.

A ghost of a smile crossed her lips despite her nervousness. "I couldn't stop thinking about you," she admitted, wide eyes searching his.

"Good thoughts or bad?" Jacob asked with a raised brow, a little playful and a little worried.

Cady chuckled. "I guess that depends on who you ask," she countered slyly, feeling more at ease.

Jacob smiled but then his expression took a serious cast. He motioned Cady over to a couch in an adjoining area of his office and they both took a seat. Jacob turned toward her and draped his arm across the back of the couch. Cady pulled one of her legs up under her as she sat facing him. She rested her elbow against the back of the couch and rested her head against her hand, gazing at Jacob curiously. Her knee just touched his leg, a tantalizing contact.

Jacob shook his head softly, his eyebrows raised, "You could walk away from this and we could go back to a purely professional relationship," he said in his typically measured pace as his dark eyes settled on hers. "You could avoid a great deal of trouble."

"Maybe," Cady admitted, shaking her head. "But I think about what I would lose," she countered with a look of longing. She raised her head and rested her arm on the couch so that she could caress his hand with hers. "I think about how you make me feel."

Jacob searched her eyes and found himself drawn in, leaning over and kissing her, exploring her soft lips and pulling her body closer. Cady responded immediately, hands exploring his body, flush with desire and exhilaration. Each kiss felt intensely sensual and intimate, as if exchanging some portion of their souls each touch.

Stopping, if only to catch their breath, the two remained in each other's arms. Jacob gazed into her eyes with such caring as his fingers traced the angles of her beautiful face. "What are we doing here?" he whispered.

"Enjoying each other's company?" Cady suggested, a smile in her eyes as she considered this passionate man.

"Is that what you want? All you want?" he wondered, still caressing her.

Cady leaned in and kissed him again, reveling in the feel of this lips and gentle caress, the warm strength of his body against hers. "All I know for sure is that I didn't want to spend the rest of my life without doing that again," she said, then sighed. "I know that by every reasonable metric this is a bad idea but how this feels … I want to give this a chance … see what develops. Where it leads."

Jacob licked his lips, expression pained. "You deserve someone you age," Jacob countered warily. "You have a long life in front of you and deserve to have someone who can share that with you… grow old with you. Someone who deserves you… someone your father would approve."

Cady swallowed hard, but despite the truly serious implications of their involvement she felt a growing certainty as she stared into his dark, caring eyes. Jacob Nighthorse had become in her mind an ardent advocate of his people and a good man always trying to be better. There was a lot she didn't know about him, but she wanted to know. She wanted to understand the thoughts that lurked behind those dark eyes. "What if what I _deserve_ isn't what I _want_? I don't know what might come for this, if anything, but I'm not willing to give up something … that _feels_ like this … with someone I respect and care for in favor of some mythical person I may never meet."

"You will meet him," Jacob assured. "You are a brilliant, beautiful young woman with the world at your feet. You could have anything you want."

"Good," she countered with a sparkle in her eyes as she added, "Because, right now, I want you!" While a smile danced over her lips, seriousness returned. "What do _you_ want, Jacob Nighthorse?"

Jacob searched her eyes attentively. "I couldn't imagine wanting anything more than I want you right now. If you're willing to bear the risk…" he let the sentence fall off as he returned his mouth to hers.

"I want you … now … here … everywhere," Cady breathed into his ear, wrapping her fingers over his belt.

"Oh, God," he begged, "please don't tempt me!" He gazed at her now with pure desire. "I have to go. Work."

Cady smiled slyly, "Maybe next time, then?"

Jacob pulled her body against hers as he trailed kisses down her neck before suddenly pulling back, standing and drawing her up to stand with him. "Count on it!" he smiled as he kissed her again.

Catching a breath, Jacob whispered. "I wish I didn't have to leave town but maybe it would be good for us to take a little time apart … gain perspective."

"I'll be here when you get back," she countered confidently but in truth she wondered is reality would still sink in for her at some point, exposing the insanity of the whole thing. She hoped that time apart wouldn't change her view but feared that this connection they had might slip away. There was so much standing between them, but all of the circumstances that argued against their relationship only made her want it more. The thrill and the danger mixed with her interest and enjoyment of the man. It was going to be a long week.

It was Friday and Walt had been trying to bury himself in the job as he and Ferg tried to keep up in Vic's absence. It was Walt's last weekend on duty before his suspension was to start, thanks to the Mayor's political aspirations and Walt's pending trial. None of that seemed to matter that much anymore, not when compared to Vic's recovery and the well-being of her child. A child. He was surely too old to be starting a new family but he sure as hell wished it was his! Walt chastised himself. He had finally _really_ blew any chance he might have had with her. He was too late.

"I thought you weren't supposed to be back til Monday?" He heard Ferg call out from the other room. Vic's voice responded though Walt didn't catch the words. He stood as she appeared at his door.

"Hey," she said.

"You should be resting," was all Walt could think to say.

"Yeah, well," Vic shrugged, "I had to go by the doc for a follow up so…"

"Are you ok?" Walt suddenly approached with concern.

"Yeah, good," she said, scratching a scab above her left eye that along with the light yellowing of healing bruises was the only outward signs of the abuse she had endured. "Can I talk to you, alone, for a minute?" Vic fidgeted.

Walt nodded and stepped past her, closing the door. "You really shouldn't be taking over the office in your condition," he said.

"I'm pregnant, Walt, not broken!"

Walt offered a weak smile, "I just mean at some point you will need to stay out of the field."

"Well, my plan is to have to back behind that desk by then!" Vic countered with what he imagined was false confidence at this point. Things were not looking well for his future.

"What I wanted to tell you," Vic began, fidgeting again and eyes wandering, "I guess I don't have anyone else to tell, except, well," she rolled her eyes, then finally looked at Walt. "They did a test while I was in the hospital… doc was kind enough to rush it."

Walt gave her a puzzled look but waited patiently for her to go on.

"It's Travis," she blurted. "The baby's father … is Travis."

"Oh," Walt responded, not sure what to say but Vic certainly didn't look pleased, especially at that response. He thought he better try something. "You were, ah, wanting it to be Amon?"

At that Vic cocked her head sideways and gave him the kind of glare she sometimes reserved as a response to his worst missteps. Vic shook her head and rolled her eyes. "I didn't want it to be _either_ of them!" she exclaimed, searching his eyes for something. Then she seemed to give up and spun around, clearly intending to leave, but Walt gripped her arm and pulled her back to face him.

His face was close to hers and the proximity seemed to cause a fog to clutter his mind. "What did you want?" he asked, trying to catch his breath.

Vic searched his eyes, hesitant. "I wanted it to be you," she said in barely a whisper but seemed to almost immediately regret the admission.

His heart racing manically, Walt chose to act, finally, in this final brief moment of opportunity. He brought his lips to hers, hesitant at first but then as she responded, Walt gave in to his own desires, drawing her against him as he explored her mouth.

Slowly bringing the kiss to a close, Walt drew back to gauge her reaction. Vic's face was full of surprise, with brows raised, and she smiled widely. "Wow!"

Walt chuckled. He rather felt the same way. The kiss had blown him away. How often had he thought about that brief touch of her lips to his when he woke up in the hospital? But this was so much more than that. He tried to wash that from his brain. This didn't change anything. Vic could see something change in his face.

"I wanted it to be me too," he said finally. "But it isn't. Travis is the father. He, ah, I'm sure he will be a good husband," Walt stumbled.

"It was _one night_ ," Vic countered forcefully. "He's a decent guy and I want him to have a role in his kid's life, but I'm _not marrying him_!"

Walt was stunned but happy. "What, ah, are you going to do?"

Vic shook her head, "I'm gonna raise a kid. Beyond that, hell if I know?" She bit her bottom lips as she gazed into his caring eyes. "But, that kiss … I know I'd like to do that again!"

Walt smiled and pulled her back to him. He didn't know what was going to happen either but he could certainly agree about the kiss.


End file.
